When competing in pageants your wardrobe plays a major role in your presentation. Before you open your mouth, your attire speaks for you. Most pageants don't tell you how to dress but a select few will actually prepare you. I remember when my pageant directors at Miss Westchester Pageants (one of the few) taught us about proper attire for the national level. I made a list and was excited because that meant an opportunity to go SHOPPING! So, I got to the mall and while revising my list I saw "nude shoes" to elongate legs and avoid distraction during interview. I chuckled a little at the thought of naked shoes. What does that even mean? I asked the sales woman in the shoe department and she pointed to several beige looking pumps. They were pretty but I thought to myself, that's not what I look like naked. I'm more of a caramel complexion. I searched some more but the darker the shoes got, the less dressy-formal they were. It was frustrating. I bought a beautiful pair of Steve Madden "nude" pumps but I wasn't satisfied. Whose nude is it anyway? Not mine. The situation I've described is a common challenge among women of color but fortunately for us, fashion and beauty companies are realizing this and catering to us. Here's what I found:

Nudevotion is a website that gathers nude clothing and shoes from various retailers/brands and displays them on their site making it easier for women to find their own shade of nude. Their fairly new section called "Dark Nude" caters to women of a darker complexion. I love it.

I discovered Nude Barre while admiring Wendy Williams' wardrobe and realized that her stylist dresses her in their stockings almost every day. Nude Barre features nude hosiery in all complexions, from the lightest to the deepest. They are reversible for an opaque option and have a hole at the bottom to make footless tights. A great buy for the fall and winter!

You may have already heard about this but I thought it was definitely worth repeating; Louboutin launched a line called "The Nudes Collection" with pumps that suit various skin tones. This means we all can rock our own truly nude red bottoms. Yay! I've pulled some shoes in many shades of "nude" to help you find your match. See the slide show below. Show me your nudes on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest by tagging #luxeleblanc #MyNudes. Remember to comment, subscribe and share.